Normality
by Ellie1
Summary: [InuKai] What can happen when two people forget the emotional part of a relationship. [ends happily]


Title: Normality

Author: Ellie

Rating: PG

Pairing: InuKai

Note: There are parts of this story that I hate, but I don't think I can make them any better. Plus there is somethig else I wanna write. And I have homework. Evil school.

Abstract: Both boys are new at relationships, and sometimes things go wrong. (ends happy)

Inui glared at his notebook and randomly poked at the bridge of his glasses. There were odd numbers appearing in spaces that should not be changing. No work-out routines had been altered, no illnesses, no school factors, no in-team break ups, no…

Wait.

He squinted and looked closer at the grids. The numbers slowly fell together and a realization slowly formed in Inui's mind. It wasn't possible. No, no, no, these things simply didn't work that way. Kaidoh was off with his plays being either far too aggressive or complexly without effort. Inui couldn't even calculate the chance for such a situation happening. No variables had changed, so there was no reason for the numbers to falter so badly.

But then he remembered something vital that he had overlooked. The other week, after they had…

Kaidoh's expression…

Inui ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He had made a critical mistake his approach to their relationship. Taking notes on it had seemed so cold, and when he fresh notebook had taken out to start it, he considered it for a few moments before hiding it away under his bed. He didn't need it, he shouldn't need it. But then he sat in his chair and stared at the corner peaking out. His science, his numbers, his equations for the world; they were how he survived, they were his life.

How could he survive without all those things?

Did he want to make science out of love?

The answer, of course, would have to be no.

The time he spent with Kaidoh…The nights they spent…

Inui closed his eyes; by god their nights were good. A small smile appeared at the remembrance of some of their more recent exploits-his preliminary research had certainly paid off.

And then Kaidoh hit a ball into a water cooler, upsetting it with an overly loud crash. Inui opened his eyes and watched the courts go silent. The freshmen scattered to the farthest fence, the general players tried to hide their laughter, and the regulars shared worried glances.

Except Tezuka.

Their Captain immediately looked over to Inui and began glaring. Inui knew he was most definitely in trouble with their fearless leader.

Eiji flounced over to Kaidoh and flung an arm around the younger boy's shoulder, "Ne, if you wanted to do target practice you should have told Inui-kun!" he announced loudly, and then leaned in closer. "Or is it Sadaharu yet?" he spoke soft enough that only the other regulars nearby could hear.

Kaidoh tossed his racquet across the court and stormed away to the clubhouse.

Inui had to bite his tongue against his need to run after Kaidoh. As much as he was compelled to attend to his lover, Inui knew that they both needed to make sure and avoid confirming anything about their relationship with the rest of the team.

And so Inui stood just where he was, waiting for everyone to go back to their games, and watching Tezuka slowly creep over. No matter how much he wanted to bolt away to avoid the confrontation, Inui knew that he would have to face the music.

Tezuka leaned against the fence next to Inui. "Your data for the past few weeks, how is it?"

"Off," Inui grunted out and looked towards the courts, deliberately not making eye contact.

"So what has changed in the past few weeks?"

Hundreds of ideas and theories sprang to mind, but Inui had no idea even where to start.

The captain took a step forward from the fence and crossed his arms with a sigh, "Maybe you should go find out."

Dropping his head in defeat, Inui squinted his eyes shut and contemplated his fate. This was a battle he had no data for and no experience with. How could he go into such a situation so unprepared? Well, that was easy: he had no choice. Besides, it was only Kaidoh after all…then again, that posed its own set of problems.

"Sometimes," Tezuka began, "if you just let them talk…they tell you more than what you could ever figure out on your own," and then slowly glided back to his usual glowering spot on the court.

Even the best had problems, Inui mused with a knowing grin. When it looked as if everyone was distracted with their own games, he slunk over to the clubhouse while his mind rattled over battle plans without any luck.

When he entered the clubhouse, it was dark. The light from the window illuminated the invisible dust in the air—it also shown down on Kaidoh sitting on the floor. His face lacked affect as he slowly looked up at Inui.

Inui stepped over to the bench and sat down in front of him. "Kaidoh…" he spoke softly and grazed his fingers against the boy's pale cheek.

One of Kaidoh's nimble hands grasped Inui's wrist with a grip that made the latter proud. But when he looked into Kaidoh's eyes, guilt settled around his heart.

With his lips slightly parted and his eyes glazed over, Kaidoh looked straight through Inui. "How do you want me, Sempai?"

In one crushing statement, Inui realized what had been happening to Kaidoh. His closed his eyes and shook his head, "Kaoru...what have I done to you?"

Neither boy moved for a moment, but Inui's body slunk lower to the ground in shame.

The hand slowly loosened and fell away, and Inui spread his arms around his lover and held him close. Kaidoh slowly relaxed and melted into Inui's body.

Kaidoh's troubled mind softened at the words of love and sorrow gently being whispered from Inui. Accepting his emotions had been difficult enough for Kaidoh to deal with, but then as the interchange of emotions slowly decreased, Kaidoh's inner stability began to falter. Their feelings became more of an unspoken acceptance, but to the young and unsure, they require it to be expressed with more than a smile and a loving graze of a finger. Kaidoh had fallen into a mindless repetition of school, homework, and sex.

Inui had failed to notice. "Not anymore, love, I will not let this happen again," he said softly and waited for Kaidoh to collect himself.

They sat together, past the time that the clubhouse was needed, yet none of the other players went in. Neither of the boys cried much, because neither was the type, but Kaidoh slowly let loose a torrent of fears and concerns.

Soon after, their teenage emotions were back under control. Inui grinned and ruffed up Kaidoh's hair before he hissed and put his bandana back on. When they opened the door and walked out, no one noticed because the entire team was trying to return balls being shot at them by the regulars.

Inwardly, Inui and Kaidoh thanked Tezuka. Inui took his notebook back up and began jotting down some information on some of the freshmen, while Kaidoh quickly jumped into the fray and began aiming boomerang snakes at their heads.

Normality was never welcomed so much.


End file.
